


Wrigglers are scary

by Daja



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures, MSPA Forums
Genre: Gen, Grubs, Kanaya Maryam/Vriska Serket Moiraillegiance, Vriska freaking out because babies are scary as fuck, wrigglers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-23 02:57:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2531531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daja/pseuds/Daja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They finally got this new world, and they finally have some wrigglers to help populate it. But currently Kanaya and Vriska are in a small cave that really provides no protection for the tiny ones. Kanaya needs to find some place better, and chooses to leave Vriska to watch them. </p><p>And Vriska freaks out. Because holy shit, taking care of tiny beings is terrifying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

            The nine wrigglers were crawling over each other, making small chirps and trills. The biggest was a rust blood, the length of Vriska’s forearm, and about as thin as it too. The smallest, a cerulean blood, could just fit in her cupped hands. That would be if she were inclined to touch it. Which she was not.

            “Kanaaaaaaaaya, is there anything else I can do? I’m not a wriggler sitter.”

            “No, you most certainly are not, but they need to be watched and that much you can manage.” Her words came automatically as she doubled checked her sylladex, having already deflected similar variations of Vriska’s protests.

            “Barely! One eye! Look, look at my one eye!” She pointed dramatically to her eye patch but was left feeling foolish when Kanaya only ‘hm-ed’ in acknowledgement. Groaning, she sat cross-legged on the hard ground of the new world that they had created. “But why does it have to be me, can’t we get someone else-“

           “Someone like a Lusus? You know that is impossible. There is only us and our friends, and they have their own responsibilities in developing this planet.” Finally, she turned to stare at the other Troll. “I need to go and find a suitable place for the wrigglers to inhabit, and I require you, as my moirail, to ensure no harm comes to them.” Her stare was as cold as fuchsia blood.

            Still, Vriska tried to find anyway to not become a wriggle jungle gym. “I have a great idea, it solves all our problems. What if I looked for the new cavern or cave, or whatever it has to be.”

            “We have deliberated this. You do not know what the specifications of the hatchery must have. I was raised for this; need I remind you of my lot as a Jade blood? I must go, and you must stay. To quote you, thems the 8rks.” A small smile softened her look as she stared down her quadrant mate, who had now wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin upon her knee.

            The cerulean blood didn’t want to start a fight, especially with their relationship still tenuous, but she couldn’t help but let out a last plea or several.

            “I don’t know what to do with them. What if they start attacking each other? Am I supposed to break it up or is that just normal for them? Because my Lusus would have just eaten them both, and I don’t want to be like that. Like, what if they start eating each other’s legs? And, what about if I rub off on them? What if they paralyze their friends because of me? And, and, Kanaya, I’ve never even _touched_ one. And they’re suppose to be the start of a whole new world, and no one wants them to be like me, I don’t want them to be like me, and what if I forget about them, and they get lost, and then one more thing to blame on me. Vriska: The Wriggler Looser. The biggest looser. Couldn’t even keep her single eye on the most important part of winning the game.” The words kept coming until she felt a heavy weight on her head, just between her two horns. Her hands shot up to touch something warm and soft and definitely alive.

            “There. Now you have touched a wriggler. The rest is not any more difficult.” Kanaya’s voice was kind as she kneeled.

            It would have been a tender moment if Vriska hadn’t shrieked and dropped the yellow grub immediately, causing Kanaya to perform an epic facepalm.

            “ITS WARM! Why is it warm? I know lower bloods are meant to be hot, but jegus, that’s unnatural. Fuck, is it sick? I don’t want to cull it, I can’t cull it. You have to cull it, its’ your job. Jade blood, remember? You were just telling me that. Why aren’t you doing anything, that one is sick and it will get the rest of them sick, and then where will we be? That’s not my fault, if they all die its because you wouldn’t cull that fucking hot one. What do those humans call it, a fever? Is it fevering? It’s fevering all over the place!” Flailing her arms, she was torn between separating the wriggler she had dropped from the others and never touching another one again.

Her long clawed hands kept reaching out to the rust blood, the indigo, the cerulean, the burgundy, the bronze and then quickly retracting back to her chest. Vriska did _not_ want to touch any of them. But she had to save them. And why wasn’t Kanaya doing anything.

A strong pap to the face finally stopped her pacing. Another pap and soft shushing helped return her bloodpusher rate back to normal.

“You are a fool. Calm the fuck down. That is the normal temperature of psiionics. I am leaving this cave, I must find something more suitable. I do not believe this cave is adequate by any means. And you will sit and be responsible for the first time in your life.” A last pap, and Kanaya was straightening her skirt and walking out of the hole in a cliff that they had temporarily called a hive.

Watching her go, then turning to her charges, Vriska informed them of the situation. “You are so fucked. I am so fucked. We’re so fucked.”


	2. How the hell isn't Kanaya bothered by the sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanaya and Vriska have left the cave, and are now safely skipping across fields to take them to a more suitable area. Its a perfectly lovely walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you vanefirebane for beta-ing! you're great!

It was hot. So hot. Not as hot as Alternia, nothing she couldn’t handle, Vriska told herself, she was really actually just concerned about the wrigglers bunched up in the baskets they were carrying. She was doing fine, her face was just always flushed, and tying her hair up was just a new thing she was trying. It had nothing to do with how her neck felt like it was being licked by the mutant blood version of Terezi. She wasn’t at her best, sure, but who would be? It’s daylight. So really, she was actually doing great.

And the fact that Kanaya easily strode a few paces in front of her was because she knew where they were going. It only made sense for the leader to be in front. It also made sense of the leader to be carrying their pack with their supplies.

“You could not have found a place closer?” Vriska called out as she readjusted her hold on the basket covered with a thin cloth.

“Of course not. I endeavored to find the most inconvenient location and chose that as an adequate spot to rear the future of our nation. I think I succeeded. I find it the pinnacle of enjoyment to hear you complain about how far it is to walk or how heavy the wrigglers are or, my favorite to be sure, how badly you have to expel waste from your body. It has been a pleasure.” Kanaya’s time on the meteor had schooled her well in sarcasm. A lesson she was not about to forget and thus practiced it. Often.

“But I do have to peeeeeee. When did you stop taking me seriously? I could throw these little shitstains off a cliff, or give them to Nepeta for paint. And I wouldn’t feel bad, not even a little! WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME???????? I am dangerous. Next village we come across, I’m going to pillage it. Just because I can. And be covered in entrails. Like in the good all day, before you got all fussyfuss in my face, just covered in all different colors because no one could beat me. Because I got aaaaaaaall the luck and I aaaaaaaalways win.” The sharp look that her moirail threw over her shoulder, caught Vriska mid sentence, “You know, well, I mostly win. That was a fluke, that one time, and you know it. You just can’t keep me dead. Not-Dead-Serket, thats what they call me in the outer circles. Thats why the horrorterrors don’t fuck with me. Mess with Lalonde all they want, I dont give a shit, but me they keep alone, because they fear me. Like you should.”

“I am afraid that I must inform you that you will be unable to pillage any villages here because because is no civilisation. Your cravings to display how murderous you are must go unsatisfied like a-”

Small clicks and churs came from the basket on Kanaya’s arm distracting her. She was met by two sets of black eyes staring at her expectantly as she looked under the cloth.

“What is it? Are they ok? Do we need to feed them? Or like, let them walk? Do they need to be walked? They are kinda like barkbeasts right, I mean we feed, water and walk them. Its totally ok, so easy to take care of. Kanaya. You aren’t answering me. Kanaya, are they ok????????” Vriska’s voice grew more frantic as she approached, her body tense as she looked at the grubs.

“They are fine,” Kanaya’s voice so much softer than just moments before, “You can see their thoraxes moving as they inhale and exhale. What about your basket?”

It took a moment for Vriska to process, all of her attention focus on counting and counting again the four tiny bodies curled against each other.

“Oh! Oh yeah,” She steadied her own basket in her hands to allow Kanaya to appraise her charges.

“They seem fine as well. You are doing well.” Kanaya took a moment to look up and give her a small smile. “However, your early statement was not inaccurate with the assessment of food. There are some foliage not to far from here that will make for a better respite spot.” Again, she took the lead, heading determinedly forward.


	3. like nothing bad would ever happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> vriska is determined to sleep, and kanaya is so bored. the most bored to ever bored.

“Vriska, No. It is not time for you to curl up like the purrbeast you are, and reach a slumbering state. God dammit are you listening? You are not even listening. Vriska, no.” Kanaya was moments away from throwing Vriska into the river they had stopped near, so be it if neither of them knew how to swim.

 

“Vriska yes. Vriska yes eight thousand times because you made us do this in broad fucking daylight. Its literally the middle of the day. I’m gonna sleep.” She was interrupted by a yawn, her yellowed fangs catching the light. “This is what you get. Go, like, entertain the grubs or something.” The last few words were barely intelligible, mumbles through slightly parted lips.

 

She didn’t even protest when the wrigglers curled against her, and burrowed into her hair. Soon the air was filed with snores and squeaks. Kanaya glared at their sleeping forms, hoping that the weight of her gaze would suddenly rouse them, or at least moderately uncomfortable in their sleep. The snores only became louder. Accepting with only moderate grumbling that it was apparently nap time, she softened her eyes, noting how the wiry body of Vriska still twitched, fingers flexing, lip raised in a snarl. At least she wasn’t lashing out anymore. To many times Kanaya had had to wake her from her sleep, a pap right to the face, to prevent her from hurting her friends. The wrigglers. Herself.

 

The game had not left any of them unscathed.

 

Her hands itched. She needed something to do, to distract herself, but what the hell was she suppose to do now. The pack had been repacked. What could be foraged had been foraged, she was certain the tree they were under had no more to give. One tree could only give so much. A wander was out of the question, just because there was no civilization did not mean there were no beasts.

 

She looked to her shellphone strapped to her wrist. She knew everyone was busy, but some how she found herself messaging Rose. Just in case, you never knew.

  
  


GrimAuxiliatrix began pestering TentacleTherapist

 

GA: Hello

 

TT: Why hello indeed. I did not expect to hear from you today.

 

GA: And I Did Not Expect You To Reply If I Am To Be Honest

 

TT: Oh? You were just that bored to hope I would? Or were you so fraught with worry, with the desire to see lavender script pass before your eyes. Dare I ask, did you miss me, darling Kanaya?

 

GA: I Am Not Sure If It Is For Better Or Worse But It Is The First Option

GA: Vriska Has Refused To Continue With Our Journey And Lies Curled At My Feet Much Like One Of Dave’s Post Mortem Animal In The Jar Of  Preserving Liquid

GA: Not To Imply That She Is Thrusting The Plants Through The Soil In The Manner Of Nutritious Manure

GA: And Not To Imply That She Would Be Nutritious Manure

 

TT: Of course.

  
  


GA: Merely That She Is Now Without Awareness Of What Is Around Her As She Vividly Hallucinates In The Manner That Is Considered Most Normal To Both Of Our Species

GA: And Looks The Closest She Could Be Too Precious While Doing So Because She Seems Almost Vulnerable

GA: Especially With Our Charges Wedged Against Her

 

TT: Your pale boner is showing. Or, I suppose to be more correct; your pale bulge is showing. If you’re intent was just to talk about how cute someone who is distinctly not cute is, I would have asked Dave for an eighty thousand word essay about the Mayor. He would have given me a hundred thousand word rap. At least the mayor is moderately adorable.

 

GA: Are You Aware That You Wrote Eighty Thousand Words

GA: Because I Find It Most Amusing That You Wrote Eighty Thousand Words

 

TT: In a completely smooth and natural transition, I am now going to ask you about your travels and how close you are to your destination. Look how fluid that was, as if I am not avoiding to respond to your question.

 

GA: I Am Completely Engrossed By How Natural Of A Change Of Topic That Was And Find No Need To Point Out That Vriska Is In Some Way Influencing You Or The Possibility That You May Miss Her

GA: There Is Nothing Of Significance To Report Of Our Travels

GA: Nothing Has Yet Crossed Our Path To Impede Our Progress

GA: The Most Eventful Happening Of Our Three Days Thus Far Has Been Watching Vriska Attempting To Interact With The Grubs

GA: But I Will Refrain From Elaborating

 

TT: I do admit, that does sound most amusing.

 

GA: I Believe Our Amusement Would Stem From Different Quadrants

GA: To Continue

GA: We Expect To Reach The New Clutch Grounds In Two More Days

GA: Assuming That The Circumstances Continue

GA: Now I Must Inquire About How Your Own Few Days Have Been

GA: Clearly Not As Rigorous As One Originally Thought If You Are Able To Converse

 

TT: You have luckily caught me in one of the few breaks that Terezi and I are taking. Somehow attempting to divine the future leaves one moderately exhausted. I am tempted to file a complaint with the game’s creators.

TT: “Dear Unknown Power tripping Assholes, I know that you find it the utmost amusement to watch us struggle to survive, and more amusing still when our hopes rise only to quash them with unending obligation to not only save reality as we know it, but also nurture its growth and development. In acknowledging those givens, I must remind you that we beat your game and would appreciate some sort of reward other than being alive despite dying numerous times. Sincerely yours, A Displeased Customer.”

 

GA: I Am Sure That They Will Respond Post Haste With Many Apologies and Consolatory Bundles of Vibrant Plant Tops

 

TT: Alas, I must return to what we humans call the daily grind and wish you a further uneventful travel.

TT: However, considering how we have both affirmed how banal it has been, I must assume Murphy’s law will take action, and something will befall you.

TT: Stay safe.

 

TentacleTherapist has cease pestering GrimAuxiliatrix

 

GA: Rose

GA: Rose What Did You Mean By That

GA: My Keratin Follicles Are Now Rising On End In A Manner To Convey Both Alarm And To Make My General Appearance Seem Larger And Thus More Intimidating

GA: Fuck

 

GrimAuxiliatrix has cease pestering TentacleTherapist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (if anyone wants to give me heads up how to make text specific colors that would be cool too)


	4. Hey look at that, vriska can be competent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so, something bad has happened. thanks for the heads up rose. and vriska is the calm one? because kanaya is definitely freaking out. awesome.

A quick look around did nothing to assure Kanaya. Everything seemed to be where  she left it last. There was her pack, there was Vriska, with the two bronze bloods in her hair, and the purple blood resting against her back. One. Only one. That means there are three wrigglers. That number is wrong. That number is the most wrong.

 

“Vriska, I need you  to awake. I need you to return to consciousness. Now would be most appreciated. ” She shook her, frantically. Her voice was calm, her movements anything but.

 

“Wh-what the hell, Fussyfangs. I’m up. I’m up! Can you stop shaking me!”  She glared at the troll crouching above her.

 

“They are gone. Six of them are not presently here. And I need you to watch the remaining ones.”

 

“Remaining what? What happened to your usual over explaining of every tiny thing.” She was finally sitting up, but Kanaya’s hands still knotted into her shirt.

 

“The wrigglers. They must have wondered off. And I am going to find them.”

 

“Wait. Back the fuck up. I went to sleep for how long? And you lost the wrigglers. What the fuck, Kanaya, what the actual fuck.”

 

“And, as much as am deserving of your reprimands, now is not the time. As soon as I return victorious with the rest of our charges you may continue, but please. Now is not the time.”

 

“Fuck that shit. I’m coming with you. Three eyes, better than two.” She had already started to try and remove the grubs from her hair.

 

“Further argument is pointless. Put them in the basket and let us just continue with our search.” They needed to go.   

 

They needed to go Now.

 

While Vriska attempted to extrapolate the two wrigglers from the nest that was her hair, claws and spikes snagging on what seemed like every knot and tangle,  Kanaya paced around the tree that was the centre of their makeshift camp. Turning over rocks, looking in the dense hedges that separated them from the river, she reasoned that they could not have crawled far. She had only been distracted for twenty minutes at the most. No, they must be here somewhere. And it wasn’t like they weren’t brightly colored, they should be easy to see. Easy for anyone or anything to see.

 

They were going to be eaten. There was no doubt about it. It was certain, their tiny plump bodies would be snatched up, because what kind of fool couldn’t see the bright blue of an indigo blood wriggler, it’s entire body practically screaming “EAT ME”. There was a reason that there were guardians in the caverns. Partly for culling the weak and the mutant, but also to protect them from any beast that thought preying on troll young was a smart idea. It was never a smart idea. Any that might even look at Kanaya’s charges with hunger would be dead to her, dead to the whole world for that matter.

 

Like, like that bit of brush that was moving in the wind. Except there was no wind. Whatever was lurking in those shadows was about to learn the finer points of Kanaya’s chainsaw. Every single fine point on her chainsaw. The bush was too dense to see what was laying in wait at the base of it, but she was sure she could see a gleam that could only be eyes.

 

Not bothering with stealth, she stomped over, chainsaw in one hand, the other ripping out any plants that stood in her way. Today was not a good day to fuck with Kanaya Maryam.

 

“What the fucking fuck are you doing. You have a chainsaw, just hack through it. Its right there  in you hand.”

 

“I am ignoring you. I have very important business to attend to. Largely, getting to the center of this infestation weeds that have the impertinence to grow in my way. There is something there and I need to kill it.” Kanaya pushed forward, throwing entire plants out of her way, ripped up from their roots.

 

This didn’t make sense to Vriska. Parlty the whole vengeful plant killing, but mostly why that one bush was still moving. With the amount of noise the angry troll was making, well, any predator would have fled. Not continue lurking in the same spot. Prey wouldn't do that either. They would either flee or freeze.

 

Squinting her one good eye, she yelled at Kanaya to stop, to hold on a moment. Her only response was a rather articulate way that Vriska could gag herself on her own bulge, but it’s not like she would have done it even if she was listening. Crouching down, she tried to peer through the clusterfuck that was leaves, branches, twigs and this situation.

 

There was definitely something moving in there. Possibly somethings? Everything was cast mostly in shadows, but she could have sworn that that was the wrong shade of green for these plants. Not that Vriska was particularly good at plants, just that it’s pretty obvious what happened.

 

Jumping up, she shouted, “Maryam, calm your rumblespheres.”

 

“I refuse.”

 

“Calm you fucking rumblespheres right now, or else I will pap you in the face so hard, it will be like eight paps in one. Dammit, Kanaya, it’s the wrigglers down there, not some chlorabear. Listen do your awesome moirail, you know, thats me, your fucking great moirail that’s stopping you before you do something you regret.”

 

Kanaya stopped. Turned. She was breathing hard, her eyes wild.

 

With feigned nonchalance, like she wasn’t keenly aware of the chainsaw in Kanaya’s hand, Vriska slowly strolled down the path that Kanaya had created.

 

“Yeah, thats good, just like that. Look at you doing that stopping thing. You did that catastrophising thing, didn’t you? Well, this ain’t the worst, ok? Its actually the best!” She needed to calm her murderous quadrantmate down, needed to do it before she reached the wigglers. “You got us closer to the shitstains that are stressing us both the fuck out. Now, you just got to put on your lipstick and put it away, k? Put that green stuff aaaaaaaall over your lips and captcha it. Gotta look good for the kiddos are whatever. Something about them learning from their lusus? Which I guess is us, and you gotta not kill them, k?”

 

She was finally close enough to reach out and touch the handle of the giant death machine, her fingers brushing against Kanaya’s white knuckle grip. Slowly, they made eye contact. Both of their eyes just starting to fill in with pigment, they were both still so young, but they had a duty. So many duties. Too many duties on the fire.

 

With a small pop, Kanaya was reapplying green pigment to her lips with a delicate hand.

 

Vriska let out a breath. Not only was nothing dead, she had actually calmed Kanaya down. Check mark to one of her duties. Only four hundred and thirteen left to go.

 

“Now, you hold this,” she thrust out the basket that held the remaining three wrigglers they had, “and I’m going to try and get them to come out, gonna crawl in there, give them the best smile that ever existed, because these fangs say most nurturing troll ever, got it?”

 

“Its not like you are not already filthy, so crawling through brambles might actually clean you. Perhaps it will even comb your hair and remove all of the tangles that you refuse to let me brush out.” The jest fell flat, Kanaya still was not completely calm, but it helped distract her, the words familiar.

 

“Yeah, whatever nerd.” First giving her a small squeeze on the arm, Vriska couched down to crawl through the foliage.

 

Closer now, it was easier to see that yes, these were definitely wrigglers. The olive, the mustard and the burgundy blood.Cool, that makes six. Only three more to go, as soon as Vriska could get her claws on these little shits. They were rubbing their tiny, squishy bodies against the thick, woody trunk of the brush. Giant black eyes half closed in pleasure.

 

Cooing softly, she tried to coax them closer to her, “Hey there, you little runts, come to lusus Vriska. Don’t you want to make her life easier and come to her. Yah you do, yaaaaaaaah ya do. I see you looking at me, you know whats going on. Trouble makers, all y’all. After my own bloodpusher, aren't ya.”

 

Her voice interrupted their play, or whatever they were doing. They stared. Thats it. Didn’t even bother to head over to Vriska. Grumbling, she moved forward on her elbows, sliding along her stomach, twigs and rocks poking into her chitin external layer. Not that she could really feel it, but it was the principle of the matter.

 

Gritting her teeth, she tried to cajole them forward again, “Come on, pupas. Come to me. I’ll probably only hurt you a little bit. Here, what if I do this,” she reached out on her her hands, boney fingers pointing up, and started wiggling them.

 

Her charges directed all their attention towards them, eyes growing wide. Oh yeah, she had them now.

 

“Ya like that, little pupas? Think it’s food, I bet ya do. Well, let me tell you a thing, nothing tastes as good as a Serket.”

 

Slowly, they maneuvered their way to her hand, all the while she softly muttered  little insults. Finally they were close where she could almost reach out, almost touch them. Stretching out as far as she could, she could almost, almost just…

 

The nearest one stepped forward.

 

“Ahhhh yiiis, ya couldn’t resist my charm, could ya. Of course not, no one-”

 

She was cut off by sharp fangs piercing her hard external layer of skin, sinking through all the way to bone.

 

Letting out a small grunt of pain, Vriska let the burgondy little shit worry her finger with its teeth. If one could go for it, the others couldn't be too far behind.

 

“Come on. Come oooooooon. Just bite it. Dont be all pathetic about. Go get what you want! And you want me. Look at him, not even hurting him (not that I'm not thinking about it). Come on pupas! Get a taste!!!!!!!!”

 

One wince, two wince, green grub, yellow grub, and she was ready to reel them in and clutch them to her chest.

 

“Lets get the fuck out of here and make sure that Kanaya isn’t trying to kill anything.”

  
Of course that’s when the whine of a chainsaw cuts through the air. Of course it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why does vriska only have one eye if this is post SBURB? where the hell is everyone else? what is this planet? will any of these questions ever be answered? probs not. 
> 
> also, i hate the hemingway app, because it says this chapter is written a the level of a 6th grader. im 22. fml.

**Author's Note:**

> Who else feels like Kanaya is so done with Vriska's shit, in the most loving way possible of course.  
> This is either a one-shot, but could be turned into something more, just depends on if people like it. I mostly just wrote it to deal with my own feelings of HOLY SHIT BABIES TERRIFY ME BECAUSE I'M SO WORRIED OF FUCKING THEM UP.
> 
> also, if anyone is willing to beta, or wants to somehow slap beta-ing for each other, drop me a line.


End file.
